The LT draws in the crowds at StarGazing Live 2015
1600 GMT 27 Mar 2015

Jon Marchant of the Liverpool Telescope group was joined by
Astrophysics Research Institute astronomers Matt Darnley and Simon
Prentice at this year's StarGazing Live event in Leicester.
Hosted by the BBC, the event coincided with a spectacular partial
solar eclipse witnessed by millions of people in the UK and across Europe.

The day was split into a morning session of eclipse watching, followed
by an evening of star-gazing from the Racecourse at Leicester and the
fields surrounding Jodrell Bank. Although the eclipse's path of
totality missed mainland Britain, those watching were still able to
enjoy a deep partial eclipse, with 85-95% of the Sun's diameter being
covered by the Moon, depending on the viewer's location in the UK.
Here in Liverpool the weather was kind: at around 9:30 am the skies
darkened and a thin crescent "sun" could be viewed by projection or
through protective glasses as the moon covered almost 91% of the solar
disc.

Back in Leicester, when not marvelling at the eclipse, the team were
able to share a range of exhibits and activities with members of the
public. These included a fine collection of meteorites and a
spectroscopy demonstration. A live feed to the telescope was also set
up, although the weather in La Palma was poor so the robotic control
system was unable to open the enclosure, even for Stargazing
Live. Instead, some fine observations of galaxies and nebula
acquired earlier in the week were presented to visitors alongside a live
infrared view of the inside of the enclosure, the latter showing the telescope
patiently waiting for conditions to improve. Better luck next year.

Members of the public visiting the LT exhibit at this years
Stargazing Live event in Leicester and - centre - the stand before
opening for business (click to enlarge).